6 Innovative User Generated Content Examples

User generated content can yield fantastic results, as long as you know how to engage your audience. Brands increasingly need to know how to leverage the power of social media and rally their fans to create content on their behalf.

In this age where content creators have lots of platform options, leveraging the power of existing fans is very important since as the old adage goes, “word of mouth is the best form of advertising”. Businesses that successfully engage their audiences are able to get lots of positive word of mouth plus save on marketing themselves.

According to independent studies, user generated content holds more sway than targeted email marketing campaigns or organic promotions over people’s purchase decisions.

Let’s go over the basics of user generated content and explore a few examples that worked wonders for different brands.

What Is User Generated Content (UGC)?

In the world of advertising, user generated content, also referred to as UGC is any content related to your brand, product, or service, created by an unpaid contributor. This can mean a lot of things: a social post, a review, a video, a mention in a podcast, or virtually anything else.

Why Do Brands Prefer User Generated Content Marketing?

Marketers value user generated content for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the key benefits:

Content Curation

One of the biggest advantages of user generated content is that you can easily curate content from multiple sources, annotate it, and then share it with your audience. For instance, if you launched a UGC campaign on TikTok, you could easily compile the best videos and leverage that content for other platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Supercharge Social Media Growth

A majority of user generated content appears on social media. By executing a well-planned UGC campaign on social media, you can easily generate lots of impressions, mentions, and engagement on popular platforms.

Benefit from SEO

Positive customer reviews, backlinks, and mentions will all improve your SEO. Google considers UGC backlinks as “hints” for ranking, so not only will it improve word of mouth, but your rankings might increase too. If unpaid contributors publish content on their own websites and give you a backlink, it’ll only improve your rankings.

Improve Your Brand’s Reputation

User generated content is much more effective in attracting first-time buyers to your brand. It can also play an important role in improving your brand’s reputation, especially because it’s more authentic, and highlights both the pros and cons of your product or service.

Understand Your Audience Better

UGC  allows brands to better understand their audience and how they interact with the brand. By taking a closer look at what your customers complain about, you can work on improving your offering.

Impressive Examples of User Generated Content Ads

To get a better understanding of what makes user generated content so successful, let’s take a look at six of the most popular user generated content examples.

1. GRWM

The “Get Ready with Me” (GRWM) trend has taken social media by storm, particularly on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. In GRWM videos, content creators walk their audience through their beauty and grooming routines, offering a candid and unfiltered look into their preparation process. These videos often start with creators introducing the products they use, sharing tips, and creating a personal connection with viewers. What sets GRWM apart is its informal and conversational style, allowing followers to feel like they’re getting ready alongside a friend. Beyond beauty, GRWM can extend to fashion, hairstyling, and snippets of daily life, making it a versatile and engaging trend that thrives on authenticity.

The appeal of the GRWM trend lies in its authenticity, providing a departure from highly polished and edited content. Viewers appreciate the genuine and relatable nature of these videos, creating a sense of intimacy between creators and their audience. This trend has become a powerful way for influencers to establish a deeper connection with followers, as viewers not only learn about beauty routines but also feel like they are part of the creator’s everyday life, fostering a community built on shared experiences and authenticity.

Recently we have also seen this trend to new industries such as gaming and dating apps as creators share their tips and recommendations while getting ready.

2. Grab Coffee With Me

The “Grab Coffee with Me” trend on social media is a delightful movement that encourages people to connect and share moments over a virtual cup of coffee. Originating from the idea of fostering connections in a casual and friendly setting, individuals use this trend to invite others to join them in a virtual coffee date.

Participants often share images or videos of their favorite coffee setups, whether it’s a cozy home coffee nook or a trendy local café, and extend an open invitation for others to virtually join them for a coffee break. This trend is all about building community, fostering new connections, and celebrating the simple joy of sharing a cup of coffee, even if it’s through the screens that connect us.

So, whether you’re a coffee enthusiast or simply looking for a way to connect with others, the “Grab Coffee with Me” trend is a heartwarming and inclusive way to bring people together over a shared love for coffee and conversation. Join in, make new friends, and savor the warmth of a digital coffee date! ☕️💻 #GrabCoffeeWithMe

3. Whiteboard

Whether it’s sharing life hacks, inspirational quotes, or unleashing your creativity through doodles, the whiteboard has become the canvas for expression. Watch as users transform mundane moments into captivating stories and share a glimpse of their daily lives in a visually engaging way. Join the trend, pick up your markers, and let the whiteboard be your medium of self-expression!

4. Unboxing

The unboxing trend on social media refers to the popular practice of recording and sharing the process of opening and revealing the contents of a newly purchased product or package. This trend has gained widespread popularity across various social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

The appeal of unboxing videos lies in the excitement and anticipation they generate for both the content creator and their audience. Creators typically share their genuine reactions, providing viewers with a firsthand look at the packaging, design, and features of the product. The videos often include commentary, reviews, and insights into the user experience.

The unboxing trend has become a powerful marketing tool for brands and businesses. It allows them to showcase their products in an engaging and authentic way, creating a direct connection with consumers. Additionally, viewers often seek unboxing videos before making purchasing decisions, as they provide valuable insights into the quality and functionality of the product.

Overall, the unboxing trend has transformed the way people share and consume product-related content on social media. It taps into the excitement of discovery, fosters a sense of community among enthusiasts, and plays a significant role in shaping consumer preferences and behaviors.

5. Role Play

This social media trend sees creators skillfully portraying two distinct roles within a single video, weaving a tapestry of stories, humor, and messages.

Imagine a one-person show where the spotlight is shared between two characters skillfully brought to life by the same creator. Whether it’s a hilarious dialogue, a heartwarming story, or a thought-provoking message, this trend allows for endless creativity.

Double the roles, double the fun! The charm lies in the versatility of creators who seamlessly transition between characters, adding a unique flavor to their content. It’s an entertaining and engaging way to explore various narratives while showcasing the creator’s acting prowess.

6. Day in a life

The “Day in the Life” trend on social media has become a popular and engaging way for individuals to share snippets of their daily routines and experiences with their audience. This trend allows users to provide a behind-the-scenes look into their lives, offering a more personal and authentic connection with their followers.

Participants typically document various aspects of their day, such as morning routines, work or school activities, meals, leisure time, and any noteworthy events. This trend is not only a means of self-expression but also a way for people to showcase their interests, hobbies, and the unique aspects of their lifestyles.

By sharing a day in their life, individuals can create a sense of relatability with their audience, fostering a stronger connection and building a more genuine online presence. Additionally, this trend encourages creativity in content creation, as users find innovative ways to capture and present their daily activities through photos, videos, or stories.

How to Use User Generated Content in Marketing

Now that you know about the most popular UGC examples, let’s discuss how brands can leverage UGC in their overall marketing strategy.

Create Desire

You don’t need to be a big name in the market to successfully run a UGC campaign. Small businesses with a local following are also able to leverage UGC content to drive conversions. A lot of that is because humans are generally driven by desire. Sharing UGC creates feelings of FOMO in viewers.

This is especially true of lifestyle brands, restaurants, and tourism industries. By highlighting and sharing content created by your users, you can create consumer desire amongst the wider audience. Simple things such as including branded hashtags in posts or on your profile can go a long way in generating consumer desire.

Focus on Inspiring Brand Loyalty

Successful UGC campaigns focus on one thing: inspiring and highlighting brand loyalty. New prospects are more likely to buy from you if they see people sharing posts about your brand from time to time.

Users who share content about your product or service are your biggest brand ambassadors. They are usually repeat buyers, so tap into their excitement for your product or service by curating content from them, underlining their experience with your brand, and showing how much you care about their opinion. Inspire brand loyalty by regularly highlighting posts and sharing them with your audience.

Build a Library of User Generated Content

If you aren’t curating and building a library of user generated content on your website or social media channels, you’re missing out. Instagram has Highlights, Facebook has Albums, and even Twitter lets you pin top Tweets. It’s difficult for brands to consistently push out engaging content every other week.

That’s where UGC comes in. You can always tap into your library of UGC to share with your audience. If you are tracking posts with specific hashtags on multiple platforms, bring them together in a library, and curate them on your profile.

User Generated Content Can Dramatically Boost Growth, If Done Right

It’s hard to underline just how important UGC can be for growing brands, but the user generated content examples above should provide inspiration. If you want to do a UGC campaign right, it’s recommended to work with a professional creative advertising agency. That’s where yellowHEAD comes in; when our creative muscle and professional insights are paired with a brand, we help launch memorable campaigns that deliver tangible results. Schedule a chat with the yellowHEAD experts to discuss a personalized plan.